Tow line handle



Feb. 26,1963 J. GOLDMAN TOW LINE HANDLE Filed Sept. 20. 1960 FIG.6

INVENTOR.

JOSEPH GOLDMAN BY fab/(w! My, M 1

ATTORN EYS Unit tates This invention relates to water safety devices and more particularly comprises a new and improved tow line handle for water skiing.

The great number of privately owned boats, both large and small, on virtually all lakes and waterways constitute a serious hazard to water skiers particularly when a skier loses his balance and falls any distance from shore. As swimmers they are not easily spotted particularly from other boats in the area, and boaters are not on the lookout from them. It is not unusual to read of the serious injury or death of a fallen water skier caused by a power boat running him down.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a buoy-type safety marker which is clearly visible and which serves to mark the location of a fallen water skier.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive safety marker which may be carried by a water skier as part of the handle of the tow line and which does not incumber the skier in any way.

To accomplish these and other objects, my invention includes a telescoping buoy-type marker which is releasably secured to and forms part of the tow line handle used by water skiers. The safety marker is ordinarily secured to and forms part of the handle and separates from the handle when the handle is either intentionally pulled free by the skier or dropped in the water; that is, when the handle is released by the skier and contacts the water surface. When the handle is dropped by the skier, the telescoping body of the marker first extends and thereafter it is released from the remaining portion of the handle and rights itself so as to be clearly visible from a considerable distance. The safety marker should be brightly colored so as to be most readily visible.

These and other objects and features of my invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a water skiing tow line handle embodying my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of one end of the handle shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the buoy-type marker forming part of the handle in a semireleased position;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation view of the wholly released and extended buoy-like marker;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional elevation view of the handle shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of a portion of the buoy-type marker forming part of the handle.

In FIGURE 1 the handle 10 is shown connected to the arms 12 and 14 of a yoke 16 in turn connected to the main tow line 18 normally drawn by a power boat which pulls the water skier. The handle 10 includes a semicylindrical frame 20 and a buoy-type marker 22.

The frame20 which may be made of any strong and rigid material such as wood, metal or plastic, comprises the major part of the handle and is that part which is actually grasped by the skier when he is pulled along by the line 18. Normally, the fingers of the skier extend over the top and down the leading side of the frame 20 with the palms of the skier facing downwardly. Secured to the end 24 of frame 20 is a hinge plate 26 attached by ice means of a flexible tab 28 (see FIG. 2). The flexible tab '28 permits the hinge plate 26 to move between the positions shown in FIGURES 1 and 3; that is, between positions wherein the plate 26 is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the frame 20 and in a plane generally parallel to that axis.

It will be noted in FIGURE 6 that the hinge plate 26 is provided With a ball 30 and the ball faces in the direction of the other end of the frame. The ball 30 which is somewhat flexible fits within a socket 32 formed in knob 34 in turn secured to and forming part of the safety marker 22.

The marker 22 includes an outer sleeve 36 and an inner rod 38 which fits telescopically within the sleeve 36 and is extendable therefrom. In FIGURES l, 3 and 5 the rod 38 is shown in a retracted position wherein it lies mostly within the sleeve 36 while in FIGURE 4 the rod 38 is shown extended to give the marker a maximum length dimension. The rod 38 is guided in its movement in the sleeve 36 by means of the flange 40 formed on the inner end of the rod and the narrow neck 42 formed on the opposite end of the sleeve 36.

While the right end of the marker 22 as seen in FIG- URE 5 carries a knob or head 34 as part of rod 38, the other end 44 of the marker carries a float 46 which may be of any convenient shape. The float 46 is shown in FIGURE 5 to be screwed to the end 44 of the sleeve 36 by means of a screw 48 which may form part of a weight 59 that serves to cause the marker 22 to right itself to the position shown in FIGURE 4 when it is released from the handle.

It will be noted in FIGURE 5 that the float member 46 lies beyond the end 54 of the frame 20. The band 52 which surrounds the end 44 of the sleeve 36 may be large enough so as to frictionally engage the inner surface of the frame 20 to yieldably retain the marker in the position shown in the frame and prevent it from wobbling in it. The marker 22 need not fit tightly within the semicylindrical frame 20 as it may be held in position by the skier himself. The frame 20 and the marker 22 together comprise the entire handle and the hands of the skier may extend around the two members to retain the assembly in place.

In use, as indicated above, the skier grasps the handle which includes the frame 20 and the marker 22. When the skier falls and thus drops the handle 10, it falls to the Water and the drag force exerted by the exposed float 46 as the handle is pulled through the water immediately causes the marker 22 to swing to the position shown in FIGURE 3 aligned with the direction of travel of the pulling boat. The tab 28 securing the hinge plate 26 to the frame 20* offers negligible resistance to the turning of the plate 26 so that the marker may assume the position shown in that figure. Continued travel of the boat causes the float to continue to exert the drag force on the marker which in turn causes the marker 22 to expand, i.e., the rod 38 to pull to an extended position from the sleeve 36 so that the marker is fully elongated. This results because the rod 38 slides to an extended position in the sleeve 36 under the influence of a force smaller than that which will separate the ball 30 formed on the plate 26 from the socket 32 formed in the knob 34 on the end of the rod 38. After the marker is fully elongated, the resistance to movement of the float 36 through the water will cause the ball and socket to open so that the marker is wholly free of the frame 20. Upon being released from the frame 20, the marker will right itself in the manner shown in FIGURE 4 under the influence of the float 46 and the weight 50. If the marker is a bright color, it will readily be seen by those boating in the area and will serve as a warning that there is a downed skier in that area.

It should be appreciated that-the sequence of events between theinitial release of the handle 10 by the skier and the righting of the marker to the position shown in FIGURE 4 will take place in a very few moments. The tremendous force applied to the float 46 by the water which causes the marker to-first pivot to' the position shown in FIGURE' 3 and thereafter extend and release itself from the frame 20 so' that it may stand erect in the water accomplishes the required steps in a matter of'a few seconds.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous changes may be made intheembodiment'of my invention disclosed herein without departingfrom the spirit of my invention. For example, the particular configuration of the float is quite unirnportant so long as it serves to turn the marker'from the handle'and' extend the marker and support it erect in the water. Because'numerous modifications may be made of my invention without departing from its spirit, I do not intend to limit the breadth of my invention to the specific embodiment illustrated and described. Rather, it is my intention that the breadth of this invention be determined by the appended-claims and their equivalents:

What is claimed is: V 1. Atow line-handle for-water skiers'comprising an elongated frame, an extendable buoy-type marker fitthe-frame and thereafter; detach from the frame whenit contacts'the surface'ofthe water and supporting saidmarker in an erectpositionafter the marker is detached.

2. Atow line handle as defined in claim 1 further ch'ar acterized by said buoy marker being composed of a plurality of "telescoping tube-like sections which move to an characterized by said float member when contacting the water surface causing the telescoping tubes to move to an extended position after the marker moves from the frame and before said marker is detached. from said frame."

4'. A" tow line "handle for water skiers comprising a": frame, a buoy marker yieldably secured to the frame, and drag means secured t'o the buoy marker andj'causing said marker tqdetach from the frame and float on the Water surface'when the framefis" dragged throughthe water. 5. A tow line handle comprising a 'frame, a buoy marker yieldably secured to-the frame, and means se cured to' the buoy markercausing said" marker to de tach'from the frame and float on'the water surface when the frame is dragged through the water, said marker" having. an extendablebody and said means causing the body'to "elongate when said means"isfdraggedihrough the -Water.

References Cited 'in 'the file offthis patent] UNITED STATES PATENTS] 2,588,637 Krantz Mar; 1'1;'19s2' 2,s93,432 Freas Apr. 22, 195.2" 2,910,708 Albright Nov. 3; 1959 

4. A TOW LINE HANDLE FOR WATER SKIERS COMPRISING A FRAME, A BUOY MARKER YIELDABLY SECURED TO THE FRAME, AND DRAG MEANS SECURED TO THE BUOY MARKER AND CAUSING SAID MARKER TO DETACH FROM THE FRAME AND FLOAT ON THE WATER SURFACE WHEN THE FRAME IS DRAGGED THROUGH THE WATER. 